Officials working to recover bodies from deadly avalanche close all forest land and trails for next three weeks

As crews recover the bodies of the skiers killed in the catastrophic Lake Tahoe avalanche, officials have closed the surrounding area to the public for several weeks.

“In response to our ongoing avalanche victim recovery efforts and the safety of our teams and the general public, U.S. Forest Service-Tahoe National Forest has issued the closure of all National Forest lands and trails in the Castle Peak area near Truckee, Calif. from Feb. 20 – March 15, 2026,” a statement from the Nevada County Sheriff’s Department said.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

“Due to the current instability of the snowpack and need to prioritize first responder access to the area, members of the public are prohibited from entering the closure area during search and rescue operations,” the U.S. Forest statement read.

“Please respect the closure notice and remain out of the area.”

The order comes only a few hours after rescuers announced they were unable to reach the bodies of the eight dead skiers Thursday because of poor weather conditions. It is presumed a ninth skier who has not been located is also dead.

Six of the original 15 skiers were rescued following the tragic event — five women and one man ages 30-55.